JP2008285704A - Partial plating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plating apparatus in which problems that the life of a mask is shortened by the wear of the mask which occurs due to the slide of a lead frame to the mask, the precision in the plating of the lead frame is deteriorated therewith and fine foreign matter produced from the mask is deposited when the transportation and the partial plating of the lead frame are solved. <P>SOLUTION: The plating apparatus for a metallic bar is provided with a nozzle plate 3 also used as an electrode, an upper plate 4 positioned above the nozzle plate 3 and the mask 5 attached on the upper surface of the upper plate 4 and having an opening pattern formed thereon. A lift plate 6 arranged to keep a prescribed height by a spacer 7 is provided on the upper surface of the upper plate 4. The wear of the mask 5 and scratch occurring on the treated surface due to the sliding of the lead frame 1 to the mask 5 are prevented by lifting the lead frame 1 by the lift plate 6 to provide a gap between the lead frame 1 and the mask 5 in the transferring the lead frame 1 and thereby, the high precision partial plating is carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a partial plating apparatus and relates to a technique for performing partial plating using a mask on a metal strip, particularly a lead frame.

  Conventionally, as a method of performing partial plating on a lead frame used in an electronic component, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, partial plating is performed on a lead frame while preventing a plating solution from leaking by pressing a mask jig with a press block. There is something that has been given.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional lead frame plating method. In FIG. 2, the mask jig 103 is supported by the mounting jig portion 102, and a plating tank 104 is connected to the lower side of the mask jig 103 via a packing 105. The lead frame 106 is placed on the head.

  A nozzle 107 is disposed in the plating tank 104, and a plating solution is sprayed from the nozzle 107 toward the opening 103 a formed in the mask jig 103. A press block 109 in which an electrode 108 is embedded is disposed above the mask jig 103, and the press block 109 is mounted on a press block mounting portion 110 that is supported by the main body frame 101 so as to be movable up and down. A mask rubber 111 that is in contact with the lead frame 106 is attached to the bottom of the press block 109.

With this configuration, in a state where the press block 109 is lowered by an air cylinder or the like and the mask rubber 111 is in contact with the lead frame 106, the plating solution is sprayed onto the lead frame 106, and the electrode 108 performs an electrolytic action to perform plating. .
JP-A-8-167683

  However, the conventional lead frame plating apparatus described above has a problem in that the mask wears quickly because the lead frame and the mask slide when the lead frame is carried into and out of the plating apparatus. This leads to a shortened life of the mask and increases costs. In addition, problems such as changes in the accuracy of partial plating of the lead frame and adhesion of fine foreign matters generated from the mask may occur. In addition, the possibility of scratches on the plated surface of the lead frame is also considered.

  The present invention is intended to solve the above-described conventional problems, and is a partial plating that can prevent the wear of the mask and the generation of scratches on the plating surface due to the sliding between the lead frame and the mask. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, a partial plating apparatus according to the present invention includes a mask having an opening pattern corresponding to a region of partial plating applied to a metal strip, and a nozzle plate having an opening corresponding to the opening pattern of the mask. And an upper plate that is positioned above the nozzle plate and supports the mask on the upper surface, and has an opening corresponding to the opening pattern of the mask, and is arranged on the upper surface of the upper plate with a predetermined height held by a spacer. The lift plate lifts the metal strip when the metal strip is transported to form a gap between the metal strip and the mask.

  According to the configuration described above, a lift plate having spring properties is attached to the upper surface of the upper plate at a position above the mask, and the lead frame is transported on the lift plate, so that the lead frame and the mask do not slide during transport. The structure is realized.

  Further, during partial plating, the back plate is lowered to press the lead frame against the mask, and the lift plate is bent to the same height as the upper surface of the mask, so that the lead frame and the mask can be in close contact with each other.

  Therefore, mask wear and scratches on the plating surface due to sliding between the lead frame and the mask can be prevented, and high-precision partial plating can be performed.

  As described above, according to the lead frame plating apparatus of the present invention, wear of the mask can be prevented by suppressing sliding between the lead frame and the mask. For this reason, it is possible to extend the life of the mask and to reduce the cost. It is also effective for problems such as changes in the accuracy of partial plating on the lead frame and adhesion of fine foreign matters generated from the mask. It is also effective for a lead frame having a convex shape on the plated surface.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
1 (a) and 1 (b) are cross-sectional views along an operation flow of a lead frame plating apparatus which is a metal strip in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  1 (a) and 1 (b), the plating apparatus is attached to the nozzle plate 3, the upper plate 4 disposed in contact with a part of the nozzle plate 3 above the nozzle plate 3, and the upper surface of the upper plate 4. The mask 5 whose periphery is cut at a constant pitch, the lift plate 6 that supports the lead frame 1 disposed above the mask 5, and the spacer 7 that holds the lift plate 6 at a predetermined height on the upper surface of the upper plate 4. The lift plate 6 is disposed on both sides of the upper surface of the upper plate 4 except for the portion corresponding to the mask 5, and the end portion of the lead frame 1 is slidably supported by the inner end portion. And fixedly supported by the spacer 7.

  The nozzle plate 3 is made of a material such as titanium, and serves to ionize a plating solution supplied from a plating solution tank (not shown) disposed below the nozzle plate 3 and supply the plating solution to the upper plate 4. In addition, a plurality of openings 3a corresponding to the partial plating portion of the lead frame 1 which is a plating object, and an electrode (for example, platinum) 3b for energization are provided around the openings 3a.

  The mask 5 is bonded to the upper plate 4 with silicon or the like, and has a plurality of openings 5 a corresponding to the partial plating portions of the lead frame 1 as with the nozzle plate 3. The mask 5 is formed by bonding epoxy glass and silicon rubber, and the silicon rubber is disposed on the surface to enhance the adhesion with the lead frame 1.

  The upper plate 4 is made of a material such as epoxy glass, and has a plurality of openings 4a corresponding to the partial plating portions of the lead frame 1 as with the nozzle plate 3 to reliably lead the plating solution supplied from the nozzle plate 3. It plays the role of a path for supplying to the partial plating part of the frame 1.

  As described above, the nozzle plate 3, the upper plate 4, and the mask 5 each have a role of reliably spraying the plating solution supplied from the plating solution tank onto the partial plating portion of the lead frame 1. The lift plate 6 has a role of holding the lead frame 1 together with the spacer 7.

  The lift plate 6 lifts the lead frame 1 with a minimum contact area where the lead frame 1 does not drop due to its own weight or bends due to its own weight. In this state, the lead frame 1 is lifted by the lift plate 6 and kept at a certain distance from the mask 5, so that the lead frame 1 does not slide with the mask 5 during its conveyance. Therefore, wear of the mask 5 due to sliding with the lead frame 1 can be prevented.

  Since the lead frame 1 is sent at a constant pitch and slides with the lift plate 6 during conveyance, the lift plate 6 is preferably made of a material having low frictional resistance (for example, Newlite, Teflon (registered trademark), etc.). Further, by providing the lift plate 6 with a step or guide means that matches the width of the lead frame 1, it is possible to regulate the position of the lead frame 1 in the width direction.

  With the above configuration, when the lead frame 1 transported at a constant pitch and the opening pattern of the mask 5 coincide with each other, the back plate 2 descends as shown in FIG. The frame 1 and the lift plate 6 that lifts the frame 1 are pushed down simultaneously. At this time, the lift plate 6 bends until the lead frame 1 and the mask 5 come into close contact with each other.

  In a state where the lead frame 1 and the mask 5 are in close contact with each other while maintaining airtightness, a lead solution supplied from a plating solution tank (not shown) is supplied to the lead frame through the opening 3a of the nozzle plate 3 and the opening 4a of the upper plate 4. The partial plating is performed by spraying on the partial plating part 1.

  When the back plate 2 rises after the partial plating is performed, the lift plate 6 holding the lead frame 1 returns to a height at which the lead frame 1 and the mask 5 do not contact with each other due to the action of the spring. As described above, the lead frame 1 is plated by alternately repeating the conveyance of the lead frame 1 and the partial plating process.

  In the above-described configuration, by rounding the corners inside the upper surface of the spacer 7, it is possible to reduce the stress of the lift plate 6 when the lift plate 6 is pushed down and bent by the back plate 2.

  As described above, the present invention can realize the above effects at a low cost without greatly changing the configuration of the conventional partial plating jig.

(A), (b) is sectional drawing which showed the operation | movement flow of the plating apparatus of the lead frame by embodiment of this invention Sectional view showing conventional lead frame plating equipment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lead frame 2 Back plate 3 Nozzle plate 3a Opening part 3b Electrode 4 Upper board 4a Opening part 5 Mask 5a Opening part 6 Lift plate 7 Spacer 101 Main body frame 102 Mounting jig part 103 Mask jig 104 Plating tank 105 Packing 106 Lead Frame 107 Nozzle 108 Electrode 109 Press block 110 Press block mounting part 111 Mask rubber

Claims (1)

  A mask having an opening pattern corresponding to a region of partial plating applied to the metal strip, a nozzle plate having an opening corresponding to the opening pattern of the mask, and the upper surface of the nozzle plate supported by the mask. And an upper plate having an opening corresponding to the opening pattern of the mask, and a lift plate disposed at a predetermined height by a spacer on the upper surface of the upper plate, the lift plate being A partial plating apparatus, wherein the metal strip is lifted to form a gap between the metal strip and the mask.

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